An Australian restaurant headed by New Zealand chef Ben Shewry has been ranked 21st on the World's 50 Top Restaurants list.
Shewry is head chef at Melbourne's Attica restaurant that was yesterday named Australia's best eatery on Restaurant magazine's annual register, compiled from the opinions of more than 900 international industry experts. The ranking was the latest accolade for Taranaki-born Shewry, who was the Age Good Food Guide chef of the year in 2010 and named Best New Talent in 2008 by Gourmet Traveller.
"It's completely surreal. I never saw it coming and I never expected it," he told goodfood.com.au.
"We've been through many, many ups and downs with the restaurant over the years and some incredible highs and some lows. I always just stay centred through all of that."
Shewry is known for his trailblazing and eclectic flavour combinations that he credits to growing up in rural, coastal Awakino where his family cultivated and caught their own food.
